Brain Wane
by Literaturefangirl
Summary: After the events of "Brain Drain" Kowalski makes a "safer" formula that allows his brain to grow without risks. Unfortunately the formula mutates and begins to attack and shrink his brain. The team must now find a way to stop the formula before it completely destroys Kowalski's brain and kills him. Will they make it in time before it is too late?
1. New discovery

**Hi guys, I hope you'll like my story, please review, I really appreciate it, thank you.**

* * *

Kowalski closed his eyes and sighed with what seemed to be his final breath. His chest appeared to cease rising.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!" Skipper screamed with anguish.

"It's over boys…" Skipper informed the penguins sadly after composing himself.

"It's… been an honour to work with you Kowalski." Skipper patted Kowalski once on his chest.

"This isn't happening…I refuse to believe that he's actually…" Private exclaimed in disbelief.

"Don't force yourself Private." Skipper advised him sadly.

" I liked when you were either dumb OR smart, because at least you were alive..." Private said with sorrow.

**6 days earlier**

"Maybe I've been thinking about it the wrong way. I should increase my brain's _quality_ not _quantity!_" Kowalski reflected in his laboratory.

"If I could extract some stem cells from my feathers and combine them with Gaba-aminobutyric acid I could create new neuronal pathways that could help my brain process more information at a faster rate but in a controlled environment!"

Kowalski talked to himself as he collected beakers and scientific equipment in his laboratory and plucked a feather from his flipper.

Kowalski scrutinized the feather and commented, "A fine specimen indeed! This will do nicely."

Kowalski waddled over to his work bench and degraded the feather to atoms with chemicals. He extracted the stem cells and sucked them up with a pipette and squeezed them out in a beaker filled with orange liquid.

Kowalski then left his laboratory and waddled over to Private.

Private was having an imaginary adventure with his Lunacorn doll. He was holding it with his flipper, moving it forward and up and down to resemble trotting.

He was narrating his story with a high pitched voice.

"Sorry to bother you Private but I was wondering if you could brew a kettle of tea for me?"

"It's no bother Kowalski, I would love to make you some tea." Private replied.

"Thank you Private."

"You never drink tea, is anything wrong Kowalski? Are you stressed?" Private inquired.

"Quite the opposite Private, in fact I'm quite excited because I…Actually yes I am a bit stressed." Kowalski quickly change his mind in order to prevent himself spoiling the surprise to Private.

If there was one thing Kowalski loved to do, it was to give complicated explanation, but one thing that surpassed this desire was to surprise everyone with his new inventions and boast about them.

"Alright then. It will be ready in 5 minutes. I'll bring it for you when it's ready." Private told him.

_Poor Kowalski…he's so stressed that he switches emotions back and forth. _Private thought with pity for the tall penguin.

Kowalski went back to his laboratory and waited.

Kowalski day dreamed about what his new brain would function like with a blissful expression and a smile on his face.

The five minutes soon passed and Private entered the laboratory. The door was open so Private could enter with ease as he carried the tea tray.

Kowalski waddled over to Private and greeted him, "Hello Private, thank you for the tea, I'lljustbetakingtheteacupnowbe causeI'mworkingonascientifcexperime ntthatyou'renotallowedtoseebye!"

Kowalski quickly said, grabbed the tea cup, moved Private gently out of the doorframe and slammed the door.

Private's head bent down in disappointment accompanied with a sigh.

The one time that Kowalski had wanted tea and he didn't get to spend time with him drinking it…


	2. Side effects

**What's going on with Kowalski? Read on and find out! Please review, thank you.**

* * *

Kowalski waddled over to his work bench. He took a quick sip from the tea cup and complimented Private, "Nice tea, Private."

He then picked up a pipette with his flipper sucked up some water with it and put it in a beaker.

He treated it with chemicals and extracted some Gamma-aminobutyricacid molecules.

He then put those molecules inside the beaker filled with stem cells and orange liquid.

He picked up the beaker with his flipper and lifted it in the air as a toast, "Here's to my new and improved brain."

Kowalski drank the contents of the beaker in one gulp. He gagged and his entire body shivered.

Kowalski then belched, "Pardon me." He apologised.

Kowalski then wiped his beak with his flipper and left the laboratory to inform the others of his scientific breakthrough.

The laboratory door slammed opened dramatically, startling everybody.

"Awww…no kaboom?" Rico expressed his disappointment, usually when the laboratory door made a loud noise it was because it had come off its hinges from the force of an explosion that Kowalski's experiments had caused.

"Sorry to disappoint you Rico. But I have an announcement to make."

"Let me guess, you've made another invention that has benefits but, then threatens to destroy the world. Am I right?" Skipper asked.

"That is incorrect Skipper. I have made a controlled formula that will increase my neuronal pathways to process a maximum amount of information at a maximum speed." Kowalski educated him.

"That's a lot of maximums mister."

"I could invent a machine to stop global warming, or I could end world famine and terminate wars. I could do practically anything!"

"That's great Kowalski, enjoy it while it lasts." Skipper advised him.

"It won't be like last time, I have added an inhibiting neurotransmitter to control the growth, so there's always something holding it back. It's completely safe."

"Good work Kowalski, you finally learned to take someone else's advice. Fish all round for everybody." Skipper announced and got some salmon for everybody.

The penguins ate the salmons and retired to their bunks for the night.

Everybody slept easily, everybody except Kowalski; who did not sleep at all.

Unbeknownst to Kowalski, the chemically treated Gaba-aminobutyric acid*; the molecule responsible for suppressing neuronal growth, had over done its job and mutated and was beginning to degrade parts of Kowalski's brain. Namely his hypothalamus; the part of the brain responsible for regulating sleep.

* * *

**By the way guys, Gaba-aminobutyric acid doesn't actually suppress neuronal growth; it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and regulates the nervous system excitability.**

**But if you put chemicals in it, I guess it could happen in a fictional setting. I just wanted to use a scientific sounding name that had similar functions to what Kowalski said.**


	3. Skipper's logs

**Things are not looking so good for Kowalski are they? Please review, thank you.  
**

* * *

Skipper's log Day 1*

The boys went through a training exercise today, everyone performed admirably well, everybody except for Kowalski of course. He fell asleep when I was giving the instructions, the nerve!

Kowalski also fell asleep halfway through the exercise. He must be out of shape.

What use is a smart brain if can't he come up with a pill that eliminates the need for sleep and makes you physically perfect?

Skipper's log Day 2

I've never noticed that Kowalski was so clumsy!

He kept falling over today and wasn't walking very steadily today. I'm beginning to think that this formula of his isn't as safe as he thought. I'll have to talk to him about it.

Skipper's log Day 3

Kowalski hasn't eaten in two days. If he keeps this up, he'll be as thin as a skeleton.

But what should I say to him? _He's_ the smart guy, that fixes things around here.

Do I just say to him "Scientist fix thyself"?

Skipper's log Day 4

This formula isn't improving Kowalski's brain, it's RUINING IT!

I had to through the mission plan FIVE TIMES! Kowalski kept forgetting it and sometimes he didn't know who any of us were, including himself.

That's the last straw, I'm going to confront him tomorrow!

Skipper's log Day 5

I confronted Kowalski today, he didn't take it like I was expecting.

He just said he didn't care and ran away from me. I'm going to talk with the rest of the boys and see what they think we can do to help Kowalski.

* * *

***I have decided to write the following chapter in log form because it is much quicker and suits the story more.**


	4. Senses shutting down

**Things are taking the turn for the worse... Please review, thank you.**

* * *

The next day Rico, Skipper and Private were huddled in the headquarters whispering on the course of action they would take to help Kowalski.

Rico regurgitated a baseball bat and tapped it with his flipper.

"We are NOT going to him on the head Rico. OK Private you are now the new options guy." Skipper promoted Private.

"Private options?" Skipper asked.

"Uh thanks Skipper, I think that we should talk to Kowalski. Maybe he doesn't know that there's something wrong with him."

"It's not a great plan, but it's better than Rico's, let's go talk to him. Oh look there he is."

Skipper gestured to Kowalski's laboratory door where Kowalski had just emerged from.

"Oh hello Kowalski, how are you...uh feeling today?" Private warmly greeted Kowalski.

"Gentlemen wherever you are, I need your help. I've been working on an antidote to my formula but I... I've lost the ability to see..." Kowalski replied with his head searching the room.

The other penguins gasped.

Suddenly Kowalski began to pant loudly.

"Does your formula turn you into a dog too?" Skipper joked to lighten the grim mood.

Kowalski then collapsed on the floor.

"KOWALSKI!"

"OH NO!"

"REPORT SOLDIER!"

The three penguins ran over to check if Kowalski was OK.

"Lab...go to my lab... one last... hurry." Kowalski uttered feebly.

"What do we do then?" Skipper

Kowalski replied with incomprehensible sounds.

"Kowalski can't guide us through this boys, it's up to us now. Kowalski's life literally depends on it. Rico you stay with Kowalski, to give him some company and comfort. Private you're with me. Let's move out!"

Skipper ordered and he and Private ran quickly to Kowalski's laboratory.

It was a matter of life and death and every second counted.

With every second passing, never knowing when Kowalski would take his final breath.


	5. Final breath?

**Was that Kowalski's last breath? Read on and find out, please review, thank you.**

Skipper and Private entered Kowalski's laboratory and began to look around.

The first thing they searched was Kowalski's work bench.

All they found was a beaker, a piece of paper with scribbles on it and a single feather.

Unfortunately Private and Skipper did not make any sense of it and continued to search the laboratory.

The cruel irony of it all...that Kowalski had but one ingredient left to put in his formula to complete it and was stripped of his sight before he could add it in.

Meanwhile Kowalski was gasping for air and taking in laboured and shallow breaths.

Rico was by his side, holding his flipper firmly.

"HURRY!" Rico called out to Skipper and Private.

"Skipper maybe we're meant to add that feather in the formula." Private realised.

"Don't be silly Private, this formula doesn't need a feather it needs uh... acid and coloured chemicals, you know those scienc-y things." Skipper disagreed.

"We don't have time to argue. I'm just going to do it." Private ran over to the beaker picked up the feather and dropped it into the beaker.

It dissolved with a hiss.

Private and Skipper then left the laboratory and waddled as fast as they could to Kowalski without spilling the formula out of the beaker.

Kowalski was still breathing with difficulty

Skipper propped Kowalski up while Private opened Kowalski's beak and fed him the formula.

"Keep breathing Kowalski, don't give up... you can't give up..." Private encouraged Kowalski

Private tilted Kowalski's head backwards to ensure that it slid properly down his oesophagus.

The penguins then waited for the formula to take its effect with dreadful anxiety.

The penguins stood in silence listening to the cadence of Kowalski's breathing and watching him closely for any sign of change.

Kowalski then closed his eyes and sighed with what seemed to be his final breath. His chest appeared to cease rising.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!" Skipper screamed with anguish.

"It's over boys…" Skipper informed the penguins sadly after composing himself.

"It's… been an honour to work with you Kowalski." Skipper patted Kowalski once on his chest and held back the tears.

"This isn't happening…I refuse to believe that he's actually…" Private exclaimed in disbelief.

"Don't force yourself Private." Skipper advised him sadly.

"I liked when you were either dumb OR smart, because at least you were alive..." Private said with sorrow.

* * *

**To be continued? **


	6. The formula works!

**Happy ending?! Thank you for reading and reviewing my fan fiction.**

* * *

But it _wasn't_ over for Kowalski, he had merely closed his eyes and his breathing was so shallow that his chest _seemed_ to stop rising. He was going in a deep trance.

Kowalski had lost both sight and hearing, but that was to his advantage!

Now that he couldn't hear or see his friends, he could truly concentrate without distractions.

He thought hard, stimulating the remaining grey matter he had, and increasing the blood flow to his brain. If he thought hard enough the blood containing the formula would permeate the grey matter and restore it to its proper size.

Kowalski thought about sounds, sights, tastes, memories, odours, moving, breathing, talking, sleeping and dancing; trying to stimulate every part of his brain.

Meanwhile the other penguins were discussing future plans.

"Did Kowalski say anything to any of you about what he wanted for his… uh funeral?" Skipper asked hesitantly.

"He told _me, _he wanted his ashes to be spread near Albert Einstein's grave." Private informed Skipper.

"Nice choice smart guy, nice choice… so uh Rico could you…?" Skipper said with fondness.

"Uh uh no way!" Rico refused.

Rico was the only who could do it, because he was the sole penguin who had a flame torch in his gut.

"But we have to respect his wishes! It's what he would have wanted." Skipper explained.

"NO!" Rico defiantly denied and rushed over to hug Kowalski.

Rico's head and flippers came in contact with Kowalski's body.

To Rico's surprise Kowalski's body was warm and his heart was beating!

"Boom boom?" Rico asked with confusion.

"What?! How can that be? Is he a zombie?!" Skipper cried out.

"No, I'm just a hardy penguin with an intelligent brain!" Kowalski opened his eyes, corrected Skipper and got up.

Kowalski opened up his beak and was about to begin a lengthy explanation of how the formula worked when Skipper interrupted him.

"Save your breath Kowalski." Skipper cringed and then realised his poor choice of words.

"Anyway _this_ is on behalf of all of us, for scaring us like that." Skipper slapped Kowalski on the cheek.

"Totally warranted." Kowalski said.

"...And this is on behalf of everyone for staying alive." Skipper hugged Kowalski.

"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, I now officially BAN you from doing any sort of brain experiments." Skipper said to Kowalski.

"Yes...Skipper." Kowalski meekly agreed.

"It's good to have you back Kowalski." Private hugged Kowalski and expressed his relief.

"It's good to see you again Private" Kowalski replied.

Kowalski then spent the rest of the day with the penguins and enjoying his second chance at life.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
